Weekend With The Girls

My dear sweet roommates from college came to visit Ohio!!!!  We've talked for years about doing a reunion, and it finally all came together!  With how airfare looked, we ended up all meeting in Canton, Ohio!!!  What a dream.  These girls...it felt like we were 19 again!  Everyone came in at varying times on Wednesday evening.  We stayed up until the wee hours of morning laughing in my living room - wish I'd had the camera out!  A few of us went running that morning, then came home for my new breakfast specialty - omelets!  We all got ready and headed out to take Roommate Pictures, so we could complete our craft for the weekend!  We went to the McKinley Monument (he was the 25th president of the US) and took some fantastic pictures.  I chose the one below because it was SO HARD to get.  Hollie had a whooping 10 seconds to run across the bridge and get into her seat!  We were all very entertained!  Katie, Lindsey, Becky, Jill, Hollie, and Angie

Since Angie and I are most familiar with the area, we had to take the girls to a few of our favorite places - starting with Taggarts Ice Cream!  Yes, we had ice cream before lunch.  BECAUSE - we can!  No kids...no husbands...just the girls!  (Many thanks to my sweet friends for helping watch my kiddos while Andy was at school!!!!)  We learned a few more things about each other - who is willing to share melting ice cream and who is not...  Katie, Hollie, Lindsey, Angie, Becky, Jill loving our ice cream!

Then we drove to Amish Country and toured around a bit.  We had a cold, windy lunch (Angie and I didn't have to pay for flights, so we did the driving and most of the meals - we had some fancy stuff!) outside of a huge Christmas store, did some antique shopping, puppy holding, and then drove to the Heini Cheese Factory - with only 40 minutes until closing.  This place is simply amazing!!!  Come and taste any and all cheese you can think of!  We hadn't eaten for a good 2 hours, so it was definitely snack-time!  Katie (and cute baby-bump) and Becky at the beginning of the samples!

Oh, the fun we have!  And the number of pictures we took!  Lots on this day!  Amish Country is just so beautiful - rolling hills, horse-pulled buggies, farm animal smells.... 

Katie, Becky, Lindsey, Angie, and Jill - with Hollie behind the camera

 
We stayed in a hotel in Cleveland.  After getting a recommendation from the guy at the desk we went to The Melt.  He told us it had fancy grown-up food like grilled cheese and stuff.  Some food guy off TV had been there.  We decided it was worthy of our patronage - knowing that we wouldn't get grilled cheese as we were a bit dairyed-out.  Then comes the menu - ALL GRILLED CHEESE!  It ended up being incredibly yummy...and cheesy!  Jill, Lindsey, Becky, Angie, Hollie, and Katie eating dinner.

Sadly, nights never ended before 2 am...6 silly sleep-deprived girls in a hotel room never bodes well...We played games, did our 4 inch square craft block, watched movies, but mostly just talked...and ate!  Lindsey, Angie, Becky, Hollie, and Jill (she really was having fun - just tired)...with Katie behind the camera!  (Must mention that I got up each morning to run on the treadmill before breakfast.  I had a goal to meet in 6 short weeks and needed my 4 miles each day!)  Loved having breakfast together each morning in the hotel - and not having to do dishes!

Friday, we got up to do the The Historic Kirtland LDS Visitors Center. (Kirtland was a town where the LDS people settled for a time. The first LDS temple was built there - and is still standing but is owned by the RLDS church - as well as several of the homes where the Saints lived. All have been restored to previous time period pieces. There are sister missionaries and senior couple missionaries who will take groups on tours...I digress!)

  Our first stop was the Kirtland Temple.  It costs $3 and is run by the Community of Christ.  Beautiful building!  Tour is very factual and impersonal.  We drove a few minutes to the LDS Kirtland Visitors Center (just 45 minutes from my house if you ever want to visit!!!!!!) and had lunch on a picnic table with some really interesting conversations, that I don't think any of us will forget!  When we walked into the main building to begin the tour, it was amazing to feel the difference in the two buildings.  I am curious to know how others perceive the differences.  We were met, asked our names, where we were from, etc.  A senior couple began our tour (love the smile on Jill's face - such an incredible, peaceful feeling - you can't help but smile!).  We watched a short movie about the history of the town, but our senior couple was pulled away for a meeting.  (They were going home the next day and had their exit interview.)  We were then assigned a pair of sister missionaries (21 or 22 yrs old) to lead our free tour.  It was sooooo cold!  Becky, Jill, Angie, Katie, Hollie in the bottom of the Whitney Store.

We had just an incredible time.  There aren't words to describe our experiences, nor the incredible growth of our testimonies.  Suffice it to say, Joseph Smith DID see God the Father and Jesus Christ.  Our prayers are answered.  The heavens are not closed.  Our Father in Heaven absolutely knows our names and our needs and cares about each one of us individually.  The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.  Angels still visit the earth.  Joseph Smith was a prophet.  I have no doubt whatsoever.  Love, love, love Kirtland!!!

We just needed this picture below - after all of our make up had been cried off... :)  Katie's husband's ancestor either helped build or worked on the sawmill.  (This is why you journal soon after pictures are taken!)  Katie, Lindsey, Jill, Hollie, Angie, Becky without the saw...

After we finished our tour, we walked back into the main lobby.  The sweet sister who coordinated the tours congratulated us for being the longest tour they had ever had!  Yes, we were there over 4 hours - it felt like an hour!  Although we were exhausted and starving...we went back in to see an art show entitled The Life of Christ by Liz Lemon Swindle.  Holy Cow.  It was just amazing.  Still brings tears to my eyes to think of the infinite love our Savior has for us, and how this talented woman can capture those feelings with a pencil.  A definite must-see!

We drove back to our hotel, completely exhausted, physically, emotionally, and spiritually tired.  We spent the evening in our room - just hanging out!  Saturday morning we got up and drove to The John Johnson Farm - again, another really fabulous spiritual experience.  We had a great Senior Missionary for our tour guide, who shared a few fantastic little-known historical facts.  It's amazing how much more you get out of tours when there are only adults around!  This is the home, where Joseph Smith was dragged from bed, tarred and feathered, and was able to preach the next morning.

We watched Saturday afternoon General Conference, stayed up late, slept in on Sunday, and enjoyed our last meal together at the Canton airport before flights left returning friends to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and DC.  I love you, Ladies!  So grateful for ya'll the last 15 years and can't wait for our next weekend together!!!